Mar 5, 2024
What do you know about circular economy and the magic of biochar?
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and making the most of resources. In a circular economy, resources are kept in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them, and then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of each service life. This contrasts with the traditional linear economy model, which follows a "take-make-dispose" pattern.
The circular economy is based on several principles, including designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. It encourages practices such as recycling, reuse, remanufacturing, and the use of renewable energy sources.
Biochar is a type of charcoal produced from biomass (organic matter) through pyrolysis, which involves heating the biomass without oxygen. Biochar is known for its potential benefits in agriculture, carbon sequestration, and soil improvement. When added to soil, biochar can enhance soil fertility, water retention, and nutrient availability. It also can sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide, helping mitigate climate change.
The "magic" of biochar lies in its ability to provide multiple environmental benefits simultaneously. By converting organic waste into biochar instead of letting it decompose, we not only avoid the release of greenhouse gases such as methane, but we also create a valuable soil amendment that can improve agricultural productivity and help restore degraded soils. This aligns with the principles of the circular economy by turning waste into a resource and promoting sustainable land management practices.
This episode breaks this down from an insider’s perspective.
Jason Dodier, Co-Founder of the GRAIN Ecosystem, is a visionary American business professional committed to revolutionizing carbon dioxide removal global project development through digitization, transparency, and increased access to capital. Based in New York City, he played a key role in advancing Energy as a Service microgrid in the U.S., notably contributing to the groundbreaking JFK's New Terminal One Microgrid.
Drawing from a rich and varied background encompassing operations, business development, marketing, and sales management, Jason spent more than a decade living and working internationally in the dynamic landscapes of North America, the Middle East, and Europe with Schneider Electric, SE. His tenure was characterized by a steadfast commitment to hastening climate transformation and advancing energy efficiency all over the world.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Jason co-founded Fountainhead Rhode Island, a forward-thinking non-profit. His dual role as a trailblazer in sustainable energy and a force behind transformative non-profit initiatives reflects his commitment to shaping a more sustainable and progressive future.
Connection to Jason:
Twitter: @J_Dodier
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondodier/
Email: Jason@GrainEcosystem.com
Be sure to check out all the links below to maximize the opportunities available to you in this incredible space.
Regarding biochar, here are the resources we like to reference when looking at the carbon removal market from the historical, current, future, and potential upside opportunities:
-
Historical: 2022 Year in Review from an aggregator of Carbon Removal (CDR) transactions - https://medium.com/cdr-fyi/cdr-fyi-2022-year-in-review-d095acd9a1a0
-
Pricing: The registry/certifier owned by Nasdaq called Puro Earth, and the associated price index (CORCX / CORCCHAR) - https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/carbon-removal-marketplace
-
Future: BloombergNEF report on Long-Term Carbon Offset Outlook (Full document available for purchase from Bloomberg) - https://about.bnef.com/blog/carbon-offset-prices-could-increase-fifty-fold-by-2050/?ref=ctvc.co
-
The Upside: John Doerr estimates that we will need 4 gigatons of removal (8x Bloomberg), equivalent to $560 billion (about $1,700 per person in the US) market size (compared to our conservative estimate of $70 billion (about $220 per person in the US)) - https://speedandscale.com/okrs/6-0-remove-carbon/
Carbon Pricing
-
Live Carbon Removal Pricing - https://www.cdr.fyi/
-
“A Year In Review”, Carbon Removal Pricing 2023 - https://www.cdr.fyi/blog/2023-year-in-review
-
This is the single best overview of what is going on in decarbonization. 200 slides of easily understandable informative graphs: https://www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
USDA Biochar Grants
-
Example Code 808 – California Scenarios (Payment Schedule) – Look for Code 808 to see the payment rate per Cubic Yard, which the NRCS will reimburse a purchaser at - https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/California-EQIP-23-payment-rates.pdf
-
Matt Flint speaking about the payment process for farmers working with NRCS at 45:00 (they will prepay or reimburse farmers directly based on the schedule above) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUskHSSpiTQ
More information on Grain Ecosystem:
We aim to enhance efficiencies, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, expediting swift deal analysis, and delivering high-quality leads within a seamless and digitally driven framework, not to mention, we provide access to vital learnings and materials surrounding how to evaluate CDR and waste-to-value projects like biochar.
Additionally, we recently unveiled a partnership with UBS (which can be very helpful to accelerate the velocity of capital/augment funding options), and Dynamo Energy has identified Grain as a standout Clean-Tech startup to watch in 2024. You can find the complete paper and announcement at this Link.
Here is a Solution Overview Video and a bit of additional resources on Grain:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYSqNRHxveM --- short overview
Grain Ecosystem (https://www.grainecosystem.com/) is the frictionless workstream platform for carbon removal credits, helping project developers access global carbon markets, which is currently confusing, challenging, and time-consuming. Grain provides software tools that accelerate the processes of testing eligibility, GHG calculation, project profitability, and gaining access to capital. The true north for Grain is to sequester as much carbon as possible while creating high-quality, permanent carbon offsets that enhance the economic viability of the developers and communities that engage with Grain.